Start Time and Duration Distribution Estimation in Semi-Structured Processes

Semi-structured processes are business workflows, where the execution of the workflow is not completely controlled by a workflow engine, i.e., an implementation of a formal workflow model. Examples are workflows where actors potentially have interaction with customers reporting the result of the interaction in a process aware information system. Building a performance model for resource management in these processes is difficult since the required information is only partially recorded. In this paper we propose a systematic approach for the creation of an event log that is suitable for available process mining tools. This event log is created by an incrementally cleansing of data. The proposed approach is evaluated in an experiment

Role of management control in small and medium enterprises performance assurance

The emergence and development of small and medium enterprises has been and continues to be a driving force for the remarkable economic progress, influencing and accelerating economic growth through more efficient use of resources. Characterized by flexibility, mobility, innovation and capacity to adapt, SMEs have continued to play an important role in economic and social life of any country, positioning itself in the steadily growing economy. Preserving and bracing the role of SMEs in the harmonious development of economy in general and especially to the Romanian economy can be achieved through management control. Management control should intercede in the process of taking decisions and influence the optimal operation of small and medium enterprises. It seeks to control the ability of management to create added value and influence stakeholders in applying the practice of concrete actions to reduce operating costs. During the current businesses period, the companies are operating in an unstable environment which is unpredictable in time and space and distorting the information. At the same time, it is considered that the main engine for creating jobs in Europe and to preserve and revive the economy, is represented by small and medium enterprises.management control; creativity; SME

Software Reuse in Agile Development Organizations - A Conceptual Management Tool

The reuse of knowledge is considered a major factor for increasing productivity and quality. In the software industry knowledge is embodied in software assets such as code components, functional designs and test cases. This kind of knowledge reuse is also referred to as software reuse. Although the benefits can be substantial, software reuse has never reached its full potential. Organizations are not aware of the different levels of reuse or do not know how to address reuse issues. This paper proposes a conceptual management tool for supporting software reuse. Furthermore the paper presents the findings of the application of the management tool in an agile development organization

Setting Fair Prices – Fundamental Principle Of Sustainable Marketing

In commercial area, the price has a major importance, being frequently considered among the main criteria used in buying decision process. Price fairness derives from equity theory and it is focused on assuring in a transaction a reasonable report between the customer’s sacrifice and the value offered by the seller. In three marketing experiments we have evaluated customers’ fairness perceptions of differential prices, this tactic being frequently used by sellers. One important finding was that the motive for setting differential prices is important in fairness evaluation. Price differences based on social motives are perceived fairer than those motivated by company’s interest. The differential prices on customer category are perceived fairer than zone prices. In all three marketing experiments it was demonstrated that price fairness has a significant influence on value perception and on buying intentions. Fair prices setting is one of the principles sustainable marketing is based on, reflecting a long term orientation for a company. By following this decisional direction, the commercial firm increases the value offered to its customers and it becomes more socially responsible.sustainable development, sustainable marketing, fair price, price fairness, differential prices, distributive fairness, procedural fairness

Framing Influence on Fairness Perceptions of Differential Prices

The objective of the research presented in this paper is to examine the effect of two types of framing (attribute and goal) on distributive and procedural price fairness perceptions and on some other variables of consumer behavior. For this purpose, two 2x2 marketing experiments were conducted. The first study evaluated the influence of price framing and seller’s motive on price fairness, price policy fairness, and value perceptions, as well as shopping intentions. The second study assessed the influence of price framing and seller’s motive framing on the same variables as in the first study. An important finding of this paper was that price framing has a direct influence on price fairness perceptions and seller’s motive has a direct influence on policy fairness perceptions. The implications of these results for the firms concern the communication of their pricing messages.distributive fairness, procedural fairness, attribute framing, goal framing, dual entitlement

Feasibility of EPC to BPEL Model Transformations Based on Ontology and Patterns

Model-Driven Engineering holds the promise of transforming\ud business models into code automatically. This requires the concept of\ud model transformation. In this paper, we assess the feasibility of model\ud transformations from Event-driven Process Chain models to Business\ud Process Execution Language specifications. To this purpose, we use a\ud framework based on ontological analysis and workflow patterns in order\ud to predict the possibilities/limitations of such a model transformation.\ud The framework is validated by evaluating the transformation of several\ud models, including a real-life case.\ud The framework indicates several limitations for transformation. Eleven\ud guidelines and an approach to apply them provide methodological support\ud to improve the feasibility of model transformation from EPC to\ud BPEL

Towards a flexible service integration through separation of business rules

Driven by dynamic market demands, enterprises are continuously exploring collaborations with others to add value to their services and seize new market opportunities. Achieving enterprise collaboration is facilitated by Enterprise Application Integration and Business-to-Business approaches that employ architectural paradigms like Service Oriented Architecture and incorporate technological advancements in networking and computing. However, flexibility remains a major challenge related to enterprise collaboration. How can changes in demands and opportunities be reflected in collaboration solutions with minimum time and effort and with maximum reuse of existing applications? This paper proposes an approach towards a more flexible integration of enterprise applications in the context of service mediation. We achieve this by combining goal-based, model-driven and serviceoriented approaches. In particular, we pay special attention to the separation of business rules from the business process of the integration solution. Specifying the requirements as goal models, we separate those parts which are more likely to evolve over time in terms of business rules. These business rules are then made executable by exposing them as Web services and incorporating them into the design of the business process.\ud Thus, should the business rules change, the business process remains unaffected. Finally, this paper also provides an evaluation of the flexibility of our solution in relation to the current work in business process flexibility research

Inhibitory potential of some selected essential oils and their main components on the growth and quorum-sensing based pigment production of Serratia marcescens

In this study the antibacterial potential of ten essential oils (EOs) and their main compounds against the development and quorum sensing (QS) mechanisms of the opportunistic bacterium Serratia marcescens was determined. The growth and QS inhibitory effect was evaluated by paper disc diffusion assay. The effect of EOs and components on QS-regulated prodigiosin biosynthesis was also studied. The results of our study indicated that some of the investigated EOs influenced the development and the QS-based activity of S. marcescens. Oregano and thyme oils showed the most pronounced antibacterial effect and had the strongest anti-QS potential. From the main oil compounds the phenolics, eugenol, carvacrol and thymol, proved to be efficient growth inhibitors. While eugenol and carvacrol had also a strong negative influence on AHL-mediated QS-systems in low concentrations, thymol was not effective in QS inhibition

Estimating the Processing Time of Process Instances in Semi-Structured Processes - A Case Study

Performance analysis of Web applications are rather difficult since people can perform parts of an activity outside the application or get interrupted while performing an activity in the system. The lack of a performance model makes it hard to plan resources or get a better understanding of the way available resources are used. In this paper an approach for determining a performance model for semi-structured processes is applied to a case study